Civic Virtue and the Constitution

The Institute of World Politics

This lecture was recorded live at The Institute of World Politics on September 15, 2022. This lecture was sponsored by the Jack Miller Center. ( https://jackmillercenter.org/ ) About the Lecture The Constitution of the United States of America is a practical document, laying out rules for managing public affairs through the offices of government. Although the Constitution does not mention the word “virtue”, George Washington and John Adams, among many others, asserted that the republic could not function without it. But how does virtue function civically? In other words, what is civic about virtue? This address will explore the civic character of virtue, trying to understand not why it is necessary, but how it operates. About the Speaker Dr. Geoffrey M. Vaughan is a professor of political science at Assumption University and a Visiting Fellow at the James Madison Program for American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. His publications emphasize the modern period from Hobbes to Habermas, but he has also published on literature with a forthcoming piece on the Natural Law in the tales of Sherlock Holmes. He is writing on the role of the philosopher-king in modern political thought and a book on the meaning of American citizenship. IWP Admissions https://www.iwp.edu/admissions/ Support IWP https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=3